Railgate: Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal may be sacked?

New Delhi: Speculation was rife on Thursday that Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal was on his way out for allegedly being linked to the Railway bribery case.

What fuelled the speculation was the fact that Pawan Bansal did not attend the Cabinet meeting today. As per reports, his not attending the meeting could be also because of the fact that an adverse decision may be on the way for him.

The Railway Minister also did not attend his office today. Reports have been doing the rounds that a decision on his fate may be taken in two to three days.

Over a period of few days, allegations have been piling up as far as his involvement in the scam pertaining to the appointment in Railways. His nephew, Vijay Singhla was caught by the CBI allegedly taking a bribe of 90 lakhs by Mahesh Kumar to facilitate his appointment as member (electrical), Railway Board.

Bansal had issued a statement distancing himself from the incident involving his nephew.

Meanwhile, it is also being said that CBI questioning of Bansal is also on the cards.

The CBI sources alleged that Bansal`s name was mentioned in several of those conversations. Singla has so far maintained during his interrogation that his maternal uncle was not involved in his alleged dealings. However, CBI sources say that Singla used to visit the Rail Bhawan and spend time in the offices of the Private Secretary and Officer on Special Duty to the Railway Minister.

The CBI has alleged that the Rs 90 lakh seized from Kumar was only part of a Rs 10-crore payoff that was to have secured for him a posting as member (electrical) on the Railway Board, a position with the power to transfer people and award big contracts. Kumar was a member (staff) of the board, and has now been suspended.